Fuel cell vehicle

ABSTRACT

In a fuel cell vehicle  10  of the invention, fuel cells  20  are integrally placed in a lower space  15  of a front seat  14 , while a secondary battery  40  is integrally placed in a lower space  18  of a rear seat  17 . The integral arrangements of the fuel cells  20  and the secondary battery  40  separately in the lower space  15  of the front seat  14  and in the lower space  18  of the rear seat  17  ensure high-performance operations of both the fuel cells  20  and the secondary battery  40  having different working environments. This arrangement also attains the effective use of the generally-dead, lower spaces  15  and  18  of the front and rear seats  14  and  17  to receive the fuel cells  20 , the secondary battery  40 , and their peripheral equipment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of Application No. PCT/JP03/03185, filed on Mar.17, 2003, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fuel cell vehicle that is equippedwith a drive motor, fuel cells, and an accumulator.

2. Prior Art to be Disclosed

As is known in the art, a fuel cell vehicle is typically equipped with adrive motor, fuel cells, and a secondary battery and has a front seatand a rear seat where a driver and passengers are seated. For example,one proposed fuel cell vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-OpenGazette No. 2001-113960 has a secondary battery and fuel cells that areplaced below the vehicle floor to be aligned in a longitudinal axis ofthe vehicle.

The secondary battery and the fuel cells having different workingenvironments are arranged close to each other. This layout isundesirable for the high-performance operations of the secondary batteryand the fuel cells. There is generally not a sufficient space to receiveboth the secondary battery and the fuel cells. This layout is notsuitable for vehicles having relatively low ground levels, for example,four-door sedans and two-door sedans.

In order to remove these drawbacks described above, the presentinvention aims to provide a fuel cell vehicle that ensureshigh-performance operations of both the fuel cells and the accumulatorhaving different working environments. The present invention also aimsto arrange fuel cells and accumulator, attaining the effective use ofthe generally-dead spaces in fuel cell vehicle. The present inventionalso aims to provide a fuel cell vehicle that assures the requiredminimum ground level of the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve at least part of the above aims, the presentinvention is directed to a fuel cell vehicle that is equipped with adrive motor, fuel cells, and an accumulator and has a front seat and arear seat, on which a driver and a passenger are seated, wherein thefuel cells are integrally placed in a lower space of one of the frontseat and the rear seat, and the accumulator is integrally placed in alower space of the other of the front seat and the rear seat.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, the fuel cells are notarranged in parts in the lower spaces of the front and rear seats, andthe accumulator is not arranged in part in the lower spaces of the frontand rear seats. The fuel cells are integrally arranged in the lowerspace of the front seat, whereas the accumulator is integrally arrangedin the lower space of the rear seat. Alternatively the fuel cells areintegrally arranged in the lower space of the rear seat, whereas theaccumulator is integrally arranged in the lower space of the front seat.The integral arrangements of the fuel cells and the accumulatorseparately in the lower space of the front seat and in the lower spaceof the rear seat ensure high-performance operations of both the fuelcells and the accumulator having different working environments. Thisarrangement also attains the effective use of the generally-dead, lowerspaces of the front and rear seats.

Here the terminology ‘front seat’ and ‘rear seat’ respectively denote aseat on the front side of the vehicle and a seat on the rear side of thevehicle. For example, in a vehicle with three rows of seats aligned inthe longitudinal axis of the vehicle, when a seat in the front row isdefined as the front seat, a seat in either the middle row or the rearrow is set to the rear seat. When the seat in the middle row is definedas the front seat, on the other hand, the seat in the rear row is set tothe rear seat. The ‘drive motor’ may use both or either one of the fuelcells and the accumulator as the power source. The ‘accumulator’ may beany chargeable and dischargeable storage battery, for example, asecondary battery or a capacitor.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, peripheral equipment of thefuel cells and the accumulator may be arranged in any of the lower spaceof the front seat, the lower space of the rear seat, a front vehiclechamber in the vicinity of front wheels, and a rear vehicle chamber inthe vicinity of rear wheels. The peripheral equipment may be locatedcollectively or placed separately. The generally-dead, lower spaces ofthe front and rear sheets and the relatively-roomy front and rearvehicle chambers are thus effectively used to receive the peripheralequipment of the fuel cells and the accumulator.

Here the ‘peripheral equipment of the fuel cells and the accumulator’include, for example, a drive motor driven with at least one of the fuelcells and the accumulator as the power source, a control unit used toregulate the driving force of the drive motor, and diversity ofauxiliary machinery (including a fuel gas supply unit, an oxidizing gassupply unit, and a cooling unit) used to operate the fuel cells.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, the lower space of the frontseat or the lower space of the rear seat may be formed not to interferewith a foot space of any of the driver and the passenger. Thisarrangement does not reduce comfortableness in the foot space.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, the lower space of the frontseat is formed below the front seat and is defined by a virtual verticalplane including a knee joint position of the driver or the passengerseated on the front seat and by a virtual vertical plane including alower end of a seat back of the front seat. The lower space of the rearseat is formed below the rear seat and is located behind a virtualvertical plane including a knee joint position of the passenger seatedon the rear seat. The fuel cells or the accumulator located in the lowerspace of the front seat does not sacrifice the riding comfortableness ofthe driver and the passenger seated on the front seat. Similarly neitherthe fuel cells nor the accumulator located in the lower spaces of thefront seat and the rear seat sacrifices the riding comfortableness ofthe passengers seated on the rear seat. In the case where the seat inthe rear row is set to the rear seat, it is not required to specify arear boundary of a lower space of the rear seat. In the case where therear seat is other than the seat in the rear row (for example, the seatin the middle row), however, it is desirable to specify the rearboundary of the lower space of the rear seat by a virtual vertical planeincluding a lower end of the seat back of the rear seat for the betterriding comfortableness of the passengers seated on the seat in the rearrow.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, at least part of auxiliarymachinery of the fuel cells may be arranged together with the fuel cellsin the lower space of either of the front seat and the rear seat. Thefuel cells and part or all of the auxiliary machinery of the fuel cellsare placed together in the lower space of either the front seat or therear seat. This arrangement desirably simplifies the gas piping layout,compared with separate arrangement of the auxiliary machinery from thefuel cells. It is preferable that the at least part of the auxiliarymachinery of the fuel cells is aligned with the fuel cells in adirection of width of the vehicle in the lower space of either of thefront seat and the rear seat. The lower space of each seat generally hasa greater dimension along the width of the vehicle than a dimension inthe longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Such dimensions enable the alignedarrangement of the fuel cells and part or all of the auxiliary machineryalong the width of the vehicle. In the fuel cell vehicle of theinvention, at least part of auxiliary machinery of the fuel cells may bearranged in a center tunnel. In a vehicle with a center tunnel, thespace of the existing center tunnel is effectively used to receive theauxiliary machinery. This advantageously does not sacrifice any ridingspace of the driver and the passengers.

Here the ‘auxiliary machinery of the fuel cells’ represent diversity ofequipment required for operations of the fuel cells and include, forexample, an oxidizing gas supply unit to feed a supply of oxidizing gasto the fuel cells, a fuel gas supply unit to feed a supply of fuel gasto the fuel cells, a humidifier to humidify the fuel gas fed to the fuelcells, a mass flow controller to regulate the pressure and the flow rateof the fuel gas fed to the fuel cells, a fuel gas circulation pump torecirculate non-reacted fuel gas exhaust, which is discharged from thefuel cells, to the fuel cells, and a water pump to circulate a flow ofcooling water through the fuel cells for cooling the fuel cells down.

In one preferable structure of the fuel cell vehicle of the invention,center pillars are formed upright between the lower space of the frontseat and the lower space of the rear seat. In the event of a sidecollision, the center pillars receive a large part of the impact. Thepresence of the center pillars thus desirably protects the fuel cellsand the accumulator from the crash impact.

The present invention is also directed to a fuel cell vehicle equippedwith a drive motor, fuel cells, and an accumulator, wherein the drivemotor, the fuel cells, and the accumulator are arranged in this orderalong a longitudinal axis of the vehicle from front to rear of thevehicle. This arrangement desirably shortens the length of a relativelylarge-diameter wire connecting the drive motor to the fuel cells andthus attains the compact layout, compared with the arrangement of thedrive motor, the accumulator, and the fuel cells in this order.

The present invention is further directed to a fuel cell vehicleequipped with a drive motor, fuel cells, and an accumulator, wherein acooling system of the fuel cells, the fuel cells, and the accumulatorare arranged in this order along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle fromfront to rear of the vehicle. This arrangement desirably shortens thedistance between the fuel cells and the cooling system and thus attainsthe compact layout, compared with the arrangement of the cooling systemof the fuel cells, the accumulator, and the fuel cells in this order.

In one preferable embodiment of the fuel cell vehicle of the invention,the drive motor is placed in a front vehicle chamber in the vicinity offront wheels, and a fuel gas source for feeding a supply of fuel gas tothe fuel cells is placed in a rear vehicle chamber in the vicinity ofrear wheels. This arrangement attains the optimum weight balance alongthe longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In this case, said fuel cellvehicle may further include a control module that controls supplies ofelectric power from the fuel cells and the accumulator and therebyregulates an output of the drive motor, and the control module may bearranged together with the drive motor in the front vehicle chamber inthe vicinity of the front wheels. This arrangement more adequatelyattains the optimum weight balance along the longitudinal axis of thevehicle. The fuel gas source may be a hydrogen tank (for example, ahydrogen gas container or a hydrogen storage alloy) or a reformer thatproduces hydrogen-rich gas through reaction of a hydrocarbon fuel withwater.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, it is preferable that atleast part of the fuel cells is located above a floor level of thevehicle. This layout readily assures the required minimum ground levelof the vehicle, compared with the layout of the fuel cells whollylocated below the floor level of the vehicle. Here the terminology‘floor level of the vehicle’ means a horizontal plane including a pointthat is in contact with the heel of the driver who is seated on thedriver's seat and drives the vehicle.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, it is also preferable that atleast part of the accumulator is located above a floor level of thevehicle. This layout readily assures the required minimum ground levelof the vehicle, compared with the layout of the accumulator whollylocated below the floor level of the vehicle.

In the fuel cell vehicle of the invention, the fuel cells may be placedoutside a passenger compartment of the vehicle (in the front vehiclechamber, in the rear vehicle chamber, or below the vehicle floor) orinside the passenger compartment (above the vehicle floor). Theaccumulator may similarly be placed outside or inside the passengercompartment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of afuel cell vehicle in one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating the fuel cell vehicle;and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the fuelcell vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERERRED EMBODIMENT

In order to clarify the objects, features, aspects, and advantages ofthe present invention, one mode of carrying out the invention isdescribed below with reference to the accompanied drawings. FIGS. 1 and2 are respectively a plan view and a side view schematicallyillustrating the configuration of a fuel cell vehicle 10 in oneembodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing theinternal structure of the fuel cell vehicle.

The fuel cell vehicle 10 of this embodiment has a monocoque chassisconstruction of integrated chassis frame and body and mainly includes adrive motor 11, a front seat 14, a rear seat 17, fuel cells 20, asecondary battery 40, and a power control unit (PCU) 50. The monocoquechassis construction may be replaced by a frame construction.

The drive motor 11 is a three-phase synchronous motor and is locatedwith an inverter 12 in the periphery of front wheels FW, morespecifically in a front vehicle chamber 61, which is parted from apassenger compartment 63 by a dash panel. A DC power output from thefuel cells 20 or the secondary battery 40 goes through a distributor 27and is converted into three-phase alternating current by the inverter12, as shown in FIG. 3. The drive motor 11 receives a supply of electricpower in the form of three-phase alternating current. In response to thesupply of electric power, the drive motor 11 generates a rotationaldriving force, which is transmitted to an axle 46 of the front wheels FWvia a differential gear 44 as the power of driving the fuel cell vehicle10.

The front seat 14 is a seat in a front row out of two rows of seatsprovided in the passenger compartment 63 and includes a driver's seatand a front passenger's seat. The rear seat 17 is a bench seat in a rearrow out of the two rows of seats. Center pillars 60, 60 are formedupright on a left side face and a right side face to be located betweenthe front seat 14 and the rear seat 17 in the fuel cell vehicle 10.

The fuel cells 20 are known polymer electrolyte fuel cells and form astack structure including a large number of unit cells. As shown in FIG.3, in each unit of the fuel cells 20, an anode receives a supply ofhydrogen gas (fuel gas), which is fed from hydrogen tanks 21, goesthrough a mass flow controller 22 for pressure and flow rate control,and is humidified by a humidifier 23, while a cathode receives a supplyof pressure-regulated, compressed air (oxidizing gas) from an aircompressor 13. The fuel cells 20 produce an electromotive force throughelectrochemical reaction of the hydrogen gas with the compressed air.Hydrogen is separated into proton and electron at the anode. The protonseparated at the anode is transmitted through a polymer electrolytemembrane and reaches the cathode, while the electron separated at theanode runs through a connected electric circuit via a load and alsoreaches the cathode. Oxygen included in the compressed air reacts withthe proton and the electron to produce water at the cathode. Thiselectrochemical reaction generates an electromotive force.

The fuel cells 20 are integrally arranged in a lower space 15 of thefront seat 14, as shown in FIG. 2. The lower space 15 is formed belowthe front seat 14 and is defined by a virtual vertical plane 15 aincluding a knee joint position 16 of a driver or a passenger seated onthe front seat 14 and by a virtual vertical plane 15 b including a lowerend of the seat back of the front seat 14. Part of the fuel cells 20 arelocated below a horizontal plane (hereafter referred to as the floorlevel FL) including a point that is in contact with the heel of thedriver who is seated on the front seat 14 (driver's seat) and drives thevehicle, while a residual part of the fuel cells 20 are located abovethe floor level FL. In the structure of this embodiment, at least halfof the fuel cells 20 are disposed above the floor level FL. As clearlyshown in FIG. 2, the vehicle floor rises from the floor level FL to makethe lower space 15 below the front seat 14 and receive the fuel cells 20in this rising space. This structure enables arrangement of a smallerhalf of the fuel cells 20 below the floor level FL and a larger halfabove the floor level FL. In one possible modification, the vehiclefloor may be dented from the floor level FL to make a lower space belowthe front seat 14 and receive the fuel cells 20 in the dented space.This modified structure enables arrangement of a larger half of the fuelcells 20 below the floor level FL and a smaller half above the floorlevel FL. In this modified structure, the fuel cells 20 are locatedabove the vehicle floor, that is, in the passenger compartment 63. Theknee joint position 16 may be set by seating a three-dimensional dummy(simulating an adult male) on the front seat 14.

Auxiliary machinery 30 of the fuel cells 20 include the air compressor13, the hydrogen tanks 21, the mass flow controller 22, the humidifier23, a DC/DC converter 24 actuated to lower the output voltage of thefuel cells 20 or the secondary battery 40 to a preset voltage level, ahydrogen gas circulation pump 25 driven to recirculate non-reactedhydrogen gas exhaust, which is discharged from the fuel cells 20, to thefuel cells 20, a water pump 26 used to circulate a flow of cooling waterthrough the fuel cells 20 for cooling the fuel cells 20 down, thedistributor 27 used to distribute the outputs of the fuel cells 20 andthe secondary battery 40, and a radiator 32 used to remove heat from thecooling water (liquid coolant) circulated through the fuel cells 20 bythe water pump 26. The distributor 27 is a switching circuit to give apower supply from either one or both of the fuel cells 20 and thesecondary battery 40 to the auxiliary machinery 30 and the drive motor11 and to charge the secondary battery 40 with electric power of thefuel cells 20.

The electric power output from the fuel cells 20 and/or the secondarybattery 40 is transmitted via the distributor 27 to the DC/DC converter24 for voltage drop to a preset level and is supplied to the auxiliarymachinery 30. Among the auxiliary machinery 30, the air compressor 13and the radiator 32 are placed in the front vehicle chamber 61 in thevicinity of the front wheels FW, while the multiple hydrogen tanks 21are placed in a rear vehicle chamber 62 in the vicinity of rear wheelsRW. The mass flow controller 22, the humidifier 23, the DC/DC converter24, the hydrogen gas circulation pump 25, the water pump 26, and thedistributor 27 are aligned on the left of the fuel cells 20 (on the leftside in the traveling direction of the vehicle) in the lower space 15 ofthe front seat 14.

The secondary battery 40 includes plurality of known nickel metalhydride cells connected in series. The secondary battery 40 undercontrol of the PCU 50 drives the drive motor 11 at a start of thevehicle, recovers a regenerative electric power in deceleratingregenerative control, assists the drive motor 11 in acceleration, and ischarged according to the loading state by the fuel cells 20. Thesecondary battery 40 is not restricted to the nickel metal hydridebattery but may be any chargeable and dischargeable battery, forexample, a nickel cadmium battery, a lithium metal hydride battery, or alead-acid battery, or a capacitor.

The secondary battery 40 is integrally arranged in a lower space 18 ofthe rear seat 17, as shown in FIG. 2. The lower space 18 is formed belowthe rear seat 17 and is located behind a virtual vertical plane 18 aincluding a knee joint position 19 of a passenger seated on the rearseat 17. Part of the secondary battery 40 is located below the floorlevel FL, while a residual part of the secondary battery 40 is locatedabove the floor level FL. In the structure of this embodiment, at leasthalf of the secondary battery 40 is disposed above the floor level FL.As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle floor rises from the floor levelFL to make the lower space 18 below the rear seat 17 and receive thesecondary battery 40 in this rising space. This structure enablesarrangement of a smaller half of the secondary battery 40 below thefloor level FL and a larger half above the floor level FL. In onepossible modification, the vehicle floor may be dented from the floorlevel FL to make a lower space below the rear seat 17 and receive thesecondary battery 40 in the dented space. This modified structureenables arrangement of a larger half of the secondary battery 40 belowthe floor level FL and a smaller half above the floor level FL. In thismodified structure, the secondary battery 40 is located above thevehicle floor, that is, in the passenger compartment 63. The knee jointposition 19 may be set by seating a three-dimensional dummy (simulatingan adult male) on the rear seat 17. In the structure of the fuel cellvehicle 10 of this embodiment, the rear potion of the lower space 18 ofthe rear seat 17 overlaps the rear vehicle chamber 62. In one modifiedarrangement, the lower space 18 of the rear seat 17 is formed below therear seat 17 and is defined by the virtual vertical plane 18 a and avirtual vertical plane including a lower end of the seat back of therear seat 17, and an area behind this lower space 18 is specified as therear vehicle chamber 62.

The PCU 50 functions to control the driving force of the drive motor 11and is constructed as a microcomputer-based logic circuit of a knownstructure (not shown) including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and input/outputports. The PCU 50 receives inputs of an accelerator opening from anaccelerator pedal position sensor (not shown), output current andvoltage levels of the inverter 12, an SOC (state of charge) of thesecondary battery 40, and measurements of diverse sensors (not shown)and outputs control signals based on these inputs to the mass flowcontroller 22 and the air compressor 13 for regulation of the gas supplyflows and to the inverter 12 and the distributor 27.

The working temperature of the fuel cells 20 is about 80° C., while theworking temperature of the secondary battery 40 is not higher than 60°C. The fuel cells 20 are liquid-cooled (for example, water-cooled),whereas the secondary battery 40 is not liquid-cooled but is air-cooled.The fuel cells 20 and the secondary battery 40 are used in differentworking environments including the working temperature and the coolingsystem.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of this embodiment constructed as discussedabove, the fuel cells 20 are not arranged in parts in the lower spaces15 and 18 of the front and rear seats 14 and 17, and the secondarybattery 40 is not arranged in part in the lower spaces 15 and 18 of thefront and rear seats 14 and 17. The fuel cells 20 are integrallyarranged in the lower space 15 of the front seat 14, whereas thesecondary battery 40 is integrally arranged in the lower space 18 of therear seat 17. The integral arrangements of the fuel cells 20 and thesecondary battery 40 separately in the lower space 15 of the front seat14 and in the lower space 18 of the rear seat 17 ensure high-performanceoperations of both the fuel cells 20 and the secondary battery 40 havingdifferent working environments. This arrangement also attains theeffective use of the generally-dead, lower spaces 15 and 18 of the frontand rear seats 14 and 17 to receive the fuel cells 20, the secondarybattery 40, and their peripheral equipment.

The fuel cells 20 located in the lower space 15 of the front seat 14 donot sacrifice the riding comfortableness of the driver and the passengerseated on the front seat 14. Similarly neither the fuel cells 20 locatedin the lower space 15 of the front seat 14 nor the secondary battery 40located in the lower space 18 of the rear seat 17 sacrifices the ridingcomfortableness of the passengers seated on the rear seat 17. Neitherthe lower space 15 of the front seat 14 nor the lower space 18 of therear seat 17 interferes with the foot space of any of the driver and thepassengers and thus worsens the riding comfortableness of the driver andthe passengers.

The drive motor 11 and the PCU 50 are placed in the front vehiclechamber 61, while the hydrogen tanks 21 to give the supply of hydrogengas to the fuel cells 20 are placed in the rear vehicle chamber 52. Thisarrangement attains the optimum weight balance along the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle. The fuel cell vehicle 10 of this embodiment isfront-wheel drive, so that the optimum arrangement gives a slightlyheavier weight to the front portion of the vehicle than to the rearportion to ensure the efficient recovery of regenerative electric power.

Part of the auxiliary machinery 30 of the fuel cells 20 (that is, themass flow controller 22, the humidifier 23, the DC/DC converter 24, thehydrogen gas circulation pump 25, the water pump 26, and the distributor27) are arranged with the fuel cells 20 in the lower space 15 of thefront seat 14. This arrangement desirably simplifies the gas pipinglayout, compared with separate arrangement of these auxiliary machinesfrom the fuel cells. These auxiliary machines 30 are effectivelyarranged on the side of the fuel cells 20 in the lower space 15 of thefront seat 14 along the width of the vehicle, which corresponds to thelongitudinal axis of the lower space 15 of the front seat 14.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the radiator 32, thefuel cells 20, and the secondary battery 40 are arranged in this orderalong the longitudinal axis of the vehicle from the front to the rear ofthe vehicle. This arrangement desirably shortens the distance betweenthe fuel cells 20 and the radiator 32 and thus attains the compactlayout, compared with the arrangement of the radiator 32, the secondarybattery 40, and the fuel cells 20 in this order.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the drive motor 11, thefuel cells 20, and the secondary battery 40 are arranged in this orderalong the longitudinal axis of the vehicle from the front to the rear ofthe vehicle. This arrangement desirably shortens the length of arelatively large-diameter wire connecting the drive motor 11 to the fuelcells 20 and thus attains the compact layout, compared with thearrangement of the drive motor 11, the secondary battery 40, and thefuel cells 20 in this order.

The larger half of the fuel cells 20 and the larger half of thesecondary battery 40 are placed above the floor level FL. This layoutreadily assures the required minimum ground level of the vehicle,compared with the layout of the fuel cells 20 and the secondary battery40 wholly located below the floor level FL.

In the event of a side collision, the center pillars 60, 60 formedupright on the left and right side faces of the fuel cell vehicle 10 tobe located between the lower space 15 of the front seat 14 and the lowerspace 18 of the rear seat 17 receive a large part of the impact. Thepresence of the center pillars 60, 60 thus desirably protects the fuelcells 20 and the secondary battery 40 from the crash impact.

The embodiment discussed above is to be considered in all aspects asillustrative and not restrictive. There may be many other modifications,changes, and alterations without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe main characteristics of the present invention.

For example, the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the embodiment has the two rowsof seats in the passenger compartment 63 aligned in the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle. Three or a greater number of rows of seats may beprovided in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. For example, in avehicle with three rows of seats, when a seat in the front row isdefined as the front seat, a seat in either the middle row or the rearrow is set to the rear seat. When the seat in the middle row is definedas the front seat, on the other hand, the seat in the rear row is set tothe rear seat. In the case where the rear seat is the seat in the rearrow, it is not required to specify a rear boundary of a lower space ofthe rear seat. In the case where the rear seat is other than the seat inthe rear row (for example, the seat in the middle row), however, it isdesirable to specify the rear boundary of the lower space of the rearseat by a virtual vertical plane including a lower end of the seat backof the rear seat for the better riding comfortableness of the passengersseated on the seat in the rear row.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the embodiment, the hydrogen tanks 21 areused as the source of the hydrogen gas (fuel gas) supplied to the fuelcells 20. The hydrogen tanks 21 may be replaced by a hydrogen storagealloy or by a reformer that produces hydrogen-rich gas through reactionof a hydrocarbon fuel (for example, gasoline or methanol) with water.

The fuel-cell vehicle 10 of the embodiment is front-wheel drive andaccordingly does not have a hollow center tunnel rising from the floorlevel FL. In a vehicle with a hollow center tunnel structure, at leastpart of the auxiliary machinery 30 of the fuel cells 20 may be placed inthe center tunnel. This layout ensures the effective use of the existingcenter tunnel to receive the auxiliary machinery therein withoutsacrificing the riding comfortableness of the driver and the passengers.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the embodiment, the fuel cells 20 andtheir peripheral equipment are placed in the lower space 15 of the frontseat 14, while the secondary battery 40 is placed in the lower space 18of the rear seat 17. This layout may be reversed; that is, the fuelcells 20 and their peripheral equipment are placed in the lower space 18of the rear seat 17, while the secondary battery 40 is placed in thelower space 15 of the front seat 14.

In the structure of the embodiment, part of the auxiliary machinery 30(the air compressor 13 and the hydrogen tanks 21) are separately placedin the front vehicle chamber 61 and in the rear vehicle chamber 62.These auxiliary machines 30 may be arranged in the lower space 15 of thefront seat 14 or in the lower space 18 of the rear seat 17.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the embodiment, both the fuel cells 20and the secondary battery 40 are used as the available power source ofthe drive motor 11. In this structure, the control may give the powersupply from both of the fuel cells 20 and the secondary battery 40 tothe drive motor 11 or may give the power supply from either one of thefuel cells 20 and the secondary battery 40 to the drive motor 11. In onepossible modification, only either one of the fuel cells 20 and thesecondary battery 40 may be used as the available power source of thedrive motor 11. For example, one of the fuel cells 20 and the secondarybattery 40 is used as the power source of the drive motor 11, while theother is used as the power source of other equipment (for example,auxiliary machinery). Another modified structure has another powersource for the drive motor 11 in addition to the fuel cells 20 and thebattery 40, and uses both or either one of the fuel cells 20 and thebattery 40 to assist the additional power source. The drive motor 11 isaccordingly structured to use at least one of the fuel cells 20 and thesecondary battery 40 as the available power source.

1. A fuel cell vehicle that is equipped with a drive motor, fuel cells,and an accumulator and has a front seat and a rear seat, on which adriver and a passenger are seated, wherein the fuel cells are integrallyplaced in a lower space of one of the front seat and the rear seat, andthe accumulator is integrally placed in a lower space of the other ofthe front seat and the rear seat.
 2. A fuel cell vehicle in accordancewith claim 1, wherein peripheral equipment of the fuel cells and theaccumulator are arranged in any of the lower space of the front seat,the lower space of the rear seat, a front vehicle chamber in thevicinity of front wheels, and a rear vehicle chamber in the vicinity ofrear wheels.
 3. A fuel cell vehicle in accordance with claim 1, whereinneither the lower space of the front seat nor the lower space of therear seat interferes with a foot space of any of the driver and thepassenger.
 4. A fuel cell vehicle in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe lower space of the front seat is formed below the front seat and isdefined by a virtual vertical plane including a knee joint position ofthe driver or the passenger seated on the front seat and by a virtualvertical plane including a lower end of a seat back of the front seat,and the lower space of the rear seat is formed below the rear seat andis located behind a virtual vertical plane including a knee jointposition of the passenger seated on the rear seat.
 5. A fuel cellvehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least part of auxiliarymachinery of the fuel cells is arranged together with the fuel cells inthe lower space of either of the front seat and the rear seat.
 6. A fuelcell vehicle in accordance with claim 5, wherein the at least part ofthe auxiliary machinery of the fuel cells is aligned with the fuel cellsin a direction of width of the vehicle in the lower space of either ofthe front seat and the rear seat.
 7. A fuel cell vehicle in accordancewith claim 1, wherein at least part of auxiliary machinery of the fuelcells is arranged in a center tunnel.
 8. A fuel cell vehicle inaccordance with claim 1, wherein center pillars are formed uprightbetween the lower space of the front seat and the lower space of therear seat.
 9. A fuel cell vehicle equipped with a drive motor, fuelcells, and an accumulator, wherein the drive motor, the fuel cells, andthe accumulator are arranged in this order along a longitudinal axis ofthe vehicle from front to rear of the vehicle.
 10. A fuel cell vehicleequipped with a drive motor, fuel cells, and an accumulator, wherein acooling system of the fuel cells, the fuel cells, and the accumulatorare arranged in this order along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle fromfront to rear of the vehicle.
 11. A fuel cell vehicle in accordance withclaim 1, wherein at least either one of the fuel cells and theaccumulator is located in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
 12. Afuel cell vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the drive motor islocated in a front vehicle chamber in the vicinity of front wheels, anda fuel gas source for feeding a supply of fuel gas to the fuel cells islocated in a rear vehicle chamber in the vicinity of rear wheels.
 13. Afuel cell vehicle in accordance with claim 12, said fuel cell vehiclefurther comprising a control module that controls supplies of electricpower from the fuel cells and the accumulator and thereby regulates anoutput of the drive motor, wherein the control module is arrangedtogether with the drive motor in the front vehicle chamber in thevicinity of the front wheels.
 14. A fuel cell vehicle in accordance withclaim 12, wherein the fuel gas source is a hydrogen tank.
 15. A fuelcell vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least part of thefuel cells is located above a floor level of the vehicle.
 16. A fuelcell vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least part of theaccumulator is located above a floor level of the vehicle.
 17. A fuelcell vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the accumulator iseither of a secondary battery and a capacitor.
 18. A fuel cell vehiclein accordance with claim 9, wherein the drive motor is located in afront vehicle chamber in the vicinity of front wheels, and a fuel gassource for feeding a supply of fuel gas to the fuel cells is located ina rear vehicle chamber in the vicinity of rear wheels.
 19. A fuel cellvehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein the drive motor is locatedin a front vehicle chamber in the vicinity of front wheels, and a fuelgas source for feeding a supply of fuel gas to the fuel cells is locatedin a rear vehicle chamber in the vicinity of rear wheels.
 20. A fuelcell vehicle in accordance with claim 18, said fuel cell vehicle furthercomprising a control module that controls supplies of electric powerfrom the fuel cells and the accumulator and thereby regulates an outputof the drive motor, wherein the control module is arranged together withthe drive motor in the front vehicle chamber in the vicinity of thefront wheels.
 21. A fuel cell vehicle in accordance with claim 19, saidfuel cell vehicle further comprising a control module that controlssupplies of electric power from the fuel cells and the accumulator andthereby regulates an output of the drive motor, wherein the controlmodule is arranged together with the drive motor in the front vehiclechamber in the vicinity of the front wheels.
 22. A fuel cell vehicle inaccordance with claim 1, wherein a foot space is interposed between thefuel cell stack and the accumulator.